Your workspaces play an important role in your organisation’s branding, company culture, employee engagement, and, ultimately, your business’ performance. For this reason, designing your workspace should not only involve aesthetic considerations. These spaces are where your workers go through their daily tasks, hold meetings, and collaborate to move the business forward.
Because of this, it only makes sense for you to design it in a way that is conducive to productivity. As a business owner or manager, you have the responsibility of turning your office space into an area where your employees can work well and enjoy what they do. One factor that you need to look into as you reassess your office space design is how it is helping—or harming—your employees’ performance.
This process can be a daunting task, but to help you get started, watch out for these four distractions and eliminate them as soon as possible:
1. Noise
Open office plans have enjoyed an increase in popularity recently. They are thought to help encourage interaction and collaboration among team members. However, they can also serve as the breeding ground for noise and unnecessary chatter, which can hamper the productivity of those who cannot focus in noisy environments.
Here are two ways to achieve and maintain a good noise level inside your office:
2. Visual Distractions
Aside from the noise, open office plans also produce visual distractions that make it difficult for your employees to concentrate on their tasks. These distractions come in various forms, such as other co-workers walking around, a particularly busy team talking in the far corner, or a colleague who has gotten up from the chair to get another cup of coffee.
These activities around them can keep them from getting down to their work. If you have an open office, your team members will thank you if you provide them with private work areas where they can zero in on their task and get away from the noise and commotion.
3. Strong Scents
Strong distracting smells, such as the aroma of a co-worker’s lunch, can put off other employees and hinder their productivity. You can avoid this by assigning an area of the office that is meant for eating or cooking food. In doing so, you not only allow your employees to enjoy their lunch without worrying about offending their colleagues, but you also lessen distractions inside the office.
4. Uncomfortable Office Furniture
Know that your office furniture impacts the wellbeing of your employees. Especially if you work in a knowledge-based economy, you must remember that your employees spend a significant part of their day sitting in a chair in front of their desks while staring at a computer screen.
Prolonged use of uncomfortable furniture can cause physical pain in your employees, which can significantly affect their performance and job satisfaction. Employees who are dealing with problems with their back, wrist, or neck, can easily lose their focus towards their work and count the hours until they can go home.
Before your office furniture does any significant damage to your employees’ health and morale, it is best to reassess your office furniture and change what needs to be changed. Having ergonomic office chairs, for example, can help your employees sit at their desks comfortably. This seemingly simple difference can help them feel better about being at work, which enables them to perform at their best.
Conclusion
If you have noticed a significant drop in your team’s performance or a sudden spike in their stress levels, one factor that you need to consider is the office space that you provide. Your employees, no matter how talented they are, cannot perform well if they are placed in a workspace that doesn’t promote and support efficient performance.
Do you need to rethink your office workstations in Canberra? We can help! We are office furniture fit-out suppliers dedicated to creating spaces where people love to work. Get in touch with us to book a free appointment today!
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